


A Court of Unfinished Dreams

by Alshoruzen



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bargaining, Contracts, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magical Bond, Mystery, Possessive Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:21:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28775244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alshoruzen/pseuds/Alshoruzen
Summary: Shinichi was born cursed to bring death to all who drew near him. And so he was sentenced to death. But an uncanny stranger with powerful magic offers him the chance at a new life. The offer, however, is not without its price. KaiShin*Rating went up for the lemon in chapter 4
Relationships: Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid
Comments: 11
Kudos: 204





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is also being posted on FF.Net.

He hadn't seen a single living person in six days.

Sitting in the corner of the small, stone cell, Kudo Shinichi traced the cracks in the floor before his feet. By now, he knew every one of them by heart, but there really wasn't anything else to do.

Pulling his knees up to his chest, he wrapped his arms around them in an attempt to fend off the cold. It didn't really work. Then again, he supposed it didn't matter. After all, he was about to die.

He wondered if he should be afraid. He suspected he should be. But, after six days alone with barely any food or water, he'd grown rather numb to the concept of fear. Or maybe he had simply resigned himself to the idea that he had no future.

He did have regrets though. Mainly, he wished he could have seen the sky just one more time. Unfortunately, his cell had no windows.

His gaze shifted to the plain but very solid door. Unlike the walls, it did contain a tiny slit of a window that looked out upon the world beyond, but there was nothing but a stone corridor to see beyond it.

He sighed and closed his eyes, letting his head loll forward onto his knees. His head was spinning slowly from hunger and exhaustion, and his throat felt like sandpaper.

So he was going to die like this, huh? Alone. Un-mourned. Hungry, thirsty, tired, and unwanted.

He wasn't afraid, but that last thought, he found, hurt.

Closing his eyes, he remembered old Emiko's face. She had been a friend of his mother's, she'd said. And she had been kind. She had wanted him. She took him in as her own child after his parents had been caught in that landslide and began to teach him how to bake.

"You'll take over my shop one day," she'd told him, and, for a moment, life had been bright. He'd had a future.

It took only one week for that future to fall apart.

The old lady, the kind, kind old lady, died of a heart attack while mixing up a batch of dough.

Shinichi couldn't look at dough again after that. He couldn't see bread without seeing her, and his heart would break just a little more.

Things had only gone downhill from there.

The next five families to take him in had all run into problems. There had been another heart attack, a fatal fall down a flight of stairs, a terrible bout of fever, and a deadly attack by a wild boar. The last family he lodged with had lost both a father and a daughter to a pair of armed robbers.

That had been the last straw. The town council had wanted to call for a cleric from the capital city, but that would have taken months. Instead, they turned to an old fortuneteller from a neighboring town who was known for having powerful Second Sight to explain what was going on.

"It is a curse," the old woman had said, placing a withered hand on top of Shinichi's head as she gazed at him with pitying eyes. "He will bring death wherever he walks. There is no evil. No intention. It is merely this child's terrible fate. His own death too is coming for him."

The townsfolk had bowed their heads in understanding, but none of them had believed that the curse did not have evil roots. What was evil after all, they'd thought, but a person who brought misfortune to others?

So after the fortuneteller had gone, they had decided that, if the brat was going to die anyway, it really didn't matter if he was comfortable or not. And really, the sooner they were rid of such a terrible curse child, the better. So they had locked him in this tiny cell, given him a pitcher of water and a hunk of stale bread to ease their consciences, and told him that they would return to check in on him in one week's time.

More precisely, they would be coming to assure themselves of his demise.

"Well that's quite the gloomy face you have there. It's such a shame too. You have such lovely eyes."

Already weak from hunger and dehydration, Shinichi's first thought was that he had begun to hallucinate. But when he peeled his eyes open, he found that there was someone else standing in his cell. Someone who hadn't come in through the door.

The stranger was a boy a few years older than Shinichi, judging by his height and the way he spoke. He had a wild mop of dark brown hair and eyes that seemed to glow a rich, indigo blue. Dressed from head to toe in a dark suit with a cloak that appeared to have been woven out of raven feathers.

"Who are you?" Shinichi asked, voice raspy from lack of water and disuse.

"Call me Kaito," the stranger replied, sweeping into a showman's bow. "And by what name shall I address you?"

Shinichi blinked at the melodramatic gesture. "Kudo Shinichi."

The older boy's grin widened. "Well then, Shinichi, what brings you to this most dreary little chamber? It doesn't suit you at all."

"They told me I'm cursed."

Kaito tilted his head to one side, studying him. "So you are."

Shinichi flinched. It wasn't like he'd ever doubted the curse, considering all the people who had died around him, but to have someone who was so clearly a being of power confirm it so casually still stung.

"Are you afraid?" the strange boy asked.

"No," Shinichi replied shortly.

His answer seemed to surprise Kaito. He raised an eyebrow, indigo eyes sharp. "Interesting. Most humans are terrified of death."

"You say that like you're not human," Shinichi observed.

Kaito chuckled. "Indeed. As a matter of fact, I am not human."

Shinichi stared. "What are you then?"

"I'm not telling~."

Shinichi frowned, but, after some consideration, he decided it didn't really matter. He was just glad to have someone to talk to. Still…

"You shouldn't stay too long," he told the boy who claimed not to be human.

"Why not?"

"You know I'm cursed," Shinichi pointed out. "If you stay too long, it might affect you."

"Oh." Kaito looked startled for a moment, though why was anyone's guess. Then he smiled a much softer smile than the one he had been wearing earlier. "Don't worry about it. I'm immune."

"How can you know that?"

"That's simple. I am immortal. Therefore, a curse that brings death cannot harm me."

"Oh." That made sense, Shinichi supposed, but it also raised a lot of other questions. Questions that he was pretty sure the other boy wouldn't answer. But maybe he could glean some information by asking about other things. "How did you get in here? You didn't open the door."

"I used magic, of course."

"Are you a wizard then?"

Kaito laughed. "Nope."

"But you just said you can use magic."

"Wizards are human. Their magic is weak."

Okay. So not only was Kaito not human, he considered human magic users to be weak. He also claimed to be immortal.

"You're not some kind of ghost, are you?"

Kaito chortled. "Definitely not. See?" Sitting down in front of Shinichi, he reached out and touched the smaller boy's shoulder. "I'm solid."

So he was.

"Now here's a question for you." With an abruptness that was almost shocking, Kaito's expression turned serious. "I know you are not afraid of death, but do you want to die?"

Shinichi gave a weak shrug, looking away. "Of course I don't want to, but there really isn't any point in my living either, is there?" He thought back to Emiko's kind, smiling face, and his heart ached with guilt and grief. "I think I'd rather die than kill more people."

"I see," Kaito murmured, looking thoughtful. "So, if you could live without causing harm to others, you would."

"Of course."

"You know, though it is your fate to die tonight, I can change that."

Shinichi's breath hitched. "What?"

"I can break your curse and take you away from here if you truly want to live," Kaito said. "But if I do, your life will be forfeit to me."

"What…does that mean?"

"It would mean that you would belong to me, body and soul. You will no longer be human."

A sudden chill ran up Shinichi's spine. "Not…human?"

Kaito smiled. "You will have some time before that. You will have eight years to make up for the eight years this curse has kept you shackled. But when the time comes, I will come to collect you, and you will shed your human existence and join my Court."

"What will you do to me then?"

Kaito chuckled. "I see you are a careful one. Are you afraid I am some sort of devil that will torture you for the rest of eternity? Well, fear not, I am no such lowly creature. But you don't have to take my word for it. Because I like you, and I don't want you to throw away this opportunity out of some misguided fear, I will make you this second deal. For the eight years I give you to grow and live your human life, you will spend eight years in my Court. At the end of that period, if you are truly unhappy, I will return to you your human life. But I warn you, that will mean returning you to the death you escape this day."

Since he'd already expected to die, that thought didn't frighten Shinichi. Instead, he saw it for what it was being proffered as—a way out if he accidentally landed himself in a bad situation by accepting this seemingly miraculous offer. He did wonder briefly if Kaito might be lying to him, but he'd always heard that, though those who used magic might twist their words, they had to keep their promises.

"So?" Kaito prompted. "Will you accept my offer?"

Taking a deep breath and bracing himself, Shinichi nodded. "I will."

Kaito beamed. "Good." He hopped lightly to his feet and offered Shinichi his hand. "Then we'd better get going."

Slowly, Shinichi took the offered hand. Kaito pulled him to his feet like he weighed nothing at all.

For a split second, Shinichi felt as though the entire world jerked. He gasped and stumbled, but Kaito caught and steadied him. Then the vertigo passed, and Shinichi found that he no longer felt tired or hungry. In fact, he felt completely normal and wide awake. Surprised, he looked down at himself and found that his torn and dirty clothes had repaired themselves and now appeared brand new, and the sickly pallor of his skin too had gone.

He also saw what appeared to be his own body lying on the cell floor by his feet. His heart leapt into his throat.

"What…?"

"I have split you from your fate," Kaito explained. "Your old life—and your curse—die here as they were meant to. Now come. You wouldn't want to be here when your jailors come for you."

The world around them melted and washed away like it was nothing more solid than an image out of a dream. Between one heartbeat and the next, they had gone from the inside of the small, stone cell to the top of a grassy hill. Shinichi's breath caught as he gazed down the lush, green slope upon a vast city glittering with lit windows and lanterns.

"Where are we?" he breathed.

There was no answer.

Confused, he turned around only to find that he was alone. In fact, there was nothing at all on the hill with him except a travel pack he'd never seen before sitting at his feet. He reached down to pick it up only to pause as something gleamed in the moonlight.

There was a thin, silver band around his left ring finger. The silver twisted into a small, four-leaf clover on top set with a tiny, black diamond. The strange thing about the ring, however, was that it wasn't always visible. It was only when the light caught it in a certain way that it became clear. When Shinichi tried touching it with his other hand, his fingers passed right through the ring like it was only an illusion. And yet he knew without a doubt that it was real.

"This means you belong to me now," Kaito's voice whispered in his ear. He turned around quickly, but there was still no one there. "Don't forget."


	2. Chapter 2

He had been dreaming about Kaito again. He often dreamed of Kaito. The dreams were always vivid, but they were nonetheless difficult to remember when he returned to the waking world.

Most of the time when he dreamt of Kaito, they would be sitting together on that grassy hill where he had left Shinichi the day that he'd saved Shinichi's life. Often, they would talk about how Shinichi's life had been going—about the people he'd met and the things he'd learned and even about whether that new pudding from the dessert shop down in the market square was really as tasty as everyone said it was. They were nonsensical little conversations about nothing very much that nevertheless somehow always led to laughter and banter and a cool, calloused hand holding his as indigo eyes looked deep into his soul. Those eyes would be the last things he saw before he woke. And they would be the only part of those dreams he could recall with any clarity. Everything else came in snippets and echoes of half remembered sensations.

Over the years, Shinichi had come to see the dreams as both a comfort and a warning. They told him without a doubt that Kaito was still watching over him. But they were also a sharp reminder that, one day soon (and growing sooner by the moment), Kaito would come to claim him.

Shinichi still wasn't sure what that would mean.

He had done a lot of research since that fateful night. It hadn't been easy at first. Though he knew how to read, no one was going to lend valuable books on magic and lore to a child from nowhere.

The first thing Shinichi had done upon arriving in the city was to search for somewhere that would accept him as an apprentice. The travel pack Kaito had left him had contained a decent amount of coin, a few changes of clothes, and several packs of food, all of which had provided him with what he needed to somewhat support himself until he eventually landed an apprenticeship with an elderly scribe who ran a small copying and book repair store that also handled the sale and trade of old books. Shinichi couldn't have asked for a better position, and he was grateful every day for old Agasa's kindness.

At the beginning, he had tried to distance himself from the man though, afraid that his presence would lead to the man's death. But as the weeks turned into months then years and the man remained healthy and energetic if rather overweight, Shinichi began to relax. Now, he couldn't help but think of the old scribe as a grandfather, and he knew Agasa saw him as a grandson.

Because of that, he had very hesitantly told the old man about his past and the strange encounter that had given him this second chance at a future. Agasa had listened carefully to his story. At first, he'd been a little skeptical, but he had eventually begun to believe Shinichi's story (the phantom ring on Shinichi's finger had helped), and they had begun to research the issue together whenever they had the time.

Magic, Shinichi had learned, had four poles that were generally referred to by colors: red, black, blue, and white. Humans could, with a great deal of study and training, tap into these forces to work magic, but, for greater works, they had to deal with the spirits who governed them—this usually meant offering the spirits something in exchange for a working. Well, Shinichi called them spirits, but they had been called many things in many books across the ages: demons, angels, faeries, elves—even gods. The entities themselves claimed none of those names. Instead, they referred to themselves as the denizens of the Four Courts.

The denizens of each Court shared certain characteristics that typically defined the kinds of magic they dealt in. And each Court had a leader whose word was absolute among those of their domains. There were countless stories about these four mysterious entities, and the tales of their deeds and powers ranged from the jaw-dropping to the simply unbelievable.

The stories of the four Lords of the Colored Courts were the ones that Shinichi read with the most care—those and the tales of children who were stolen by these mystical beings. He suspected that the boy who had saved him was one of those four because surely no one else could wield the kind of power Kaito had used to help him. No one knew the names of those entities though—or rather people knew dozens of names for them, none of which had been Kaito. But, when he thought about it, Shinichi thought he knew which Court Kaito had come from.

It was said that the denizens of the Black Court were creatures of chaos and mischief who thrived on mayhem. They had the power, it was said, to defy the natural order, warping conventions, thoughts, and reality alike, distorting the border between imagination and truth.

They ruled the night and the realm of dreams, and were famous for their unpredictability and their love of pranks. Anyone who sought to deal with them, all the books warned, had better be doubly careful because none were as skilled at twisting words and promises as those of the Black Court. Deceit came as naturally to them as breathing did to human beings. On the other hand, all denizens—like all users of magic—kept their word once given.

These discoveries didn't, however, tell Shinichi very much about what to expect when Kaito came to take him from his human life.

Though there were many tales about children being stolen by spirits, most of those stories were, in Shinichi's opinion, just fearful and superstitious people spinning tales for the gullible. Others were obviously meant to help scare children into behaving, like the many stories of naughty children being lured away from their homes and turned into animals or even plants. Other tales claimed that spirits ate children or did otherwise unspeakable things to them to draw power from their suffering or simply to entertain themselves. Some of those dreadful tales had been written in such nauseating detail that they had given Shinichi nightmares.

Nightmares that Kaito had pulled him out of.

A low laugh in his ears as strong arms encircle him from behind.

"Is that what you think of me?"

Amusement gleaming in indigo eyes.

"Fear not, my little sparrow. You are far more to me than a mere amusement."

Those words had stayed with Shinichi as another of the clearer fragments of his dream encounters with Kaito. Like many things about Kaito, they were both reassuring and unnerving.

This latest dream, however, had been entirely too vivid. He remembered every detail and every sound—he would even swear that there had been scents in the dream that now lingered just on the edge of his awareness.

They had not been on the hill this time but on the bank of a wide and powerful river over which a black marble bridge rose like the arch of a great dragon's back. On the other side of the frothing river lay a broad, stone staircase heading up an enormous, rocky mountain. Over this lay an increasingly dense fog through which Shinichi could just barely make out the silhouette of a castle looming high against the fog white sky. He could feel the cold radiating from the water and smell its fresh, clean scent.

The light crackle of shifting gravel drew his attention as a presence walked up behind him. He turned around to meet Kaito's familiar, indigo gaze. As Shinichi had gotten older, so had the Kaito he saw in his dreams. He knew from his studies that this had to be a choice Kaito was making because most high level Court denizens were shape shifters, but it still made Shinichi feel closer to the other as though they really had grown up together. The Kaito who stood before him now was a tall, athletic young man with sharp features and an even sharper grin. The dark mess of his hair somehow managed to be both roguish and elegant at the same time. His eyes, however, had not changed at all. They were every bit as piercing and full of secrets like the night sky—deep and full of mysteries and promises of magic and strange adventures.

Looking into those eyes always made Shinichi's heart beat just a little faster, though whether it was from awe or fear or something else, he wasn't sure.

"Do you know where this is?" Kaito asked, coming to a stop on the riverbank next to Shinichi and gazing across at the shadowy castle beyond.

"No," Shinichi said honestly. "Isn't this a dream?"

"It is, and it isn't."

Shinichi gave a puzzled frown. "How can it be both?"

"This is a place on the border between reality and dreams. It does not occupy a physical location, but it is as real as you and me. It is my finest creation."

"You made this place?"

Kaito grinned, pride shining in his eyes. "Indeed I did. Here, let me show you."

He took Shinichi's hand. It was a familiar gesture to Shinichi by now, though lately he'd found that it made his heart flutter in a most disconcerting way. Kaito's hands were slightly larger than his, with long, dexterous fingers and a firm, reassuring grip. He had calluses, something that Shinichi often puzzled over. After all, why would a magical being have calluses? Or was it just another choice Kaito had made for himself?

There was a rush of wind and a gust of damp spray. Then the river and the bridge were gone to be replaced by a forest meadow aglow with twilight where the leaves glistened as though they were coated in crystal dust and pearl white flowers dotted the grass. Then they were standing on the shore of a great lake, which was then replaced by a gazebo strung with faerie lights in the heart of a flourishing rose garden then an elegant balcony overlooking that same garden. There, the landscape stilled, and Kaito led him to the balcony railing.

"What do you think?" he asked.

The eagerness in his voice made Shinichi smile.

"It's beautiful," he said honestly. He let his gaze wander over the breathtaking view as he leaned against the railing. "I guess this is your home then."

Arms slipped around him from behind as a voice murmured softly in his ear, "It'll be yours too."

Shinichi shivered. His heart skipped a beat then began beating at double time. He found himself torn between a desire to lean back into the embrace and the feeling that he should pull away.

"You're nervous," said Kaito. It wasn't a question, and Shinichi didn't bother to deny it. His arms tightened around Shinichi's waist, pulling him just a little closer. "Don't you trust me?"

"I'm not sure," Shinichi admitted. It was strange, he mused, how easy Kaito was to talk to even about things like this. "I think I do, but I also think I shouldn't."

Kaito laughed softly. The sound sent a pleasant shudder up Shinichi's spine, and he relaxed despite himself.

"Eight years," Kaito said. "Then you can decide if you would prefer to reclaim your old fate."

"Why did you help me back then?" Shinichi blurted out. It was a question he had wanted to ask for years—ever since that night. But it wasn't until now, with the end of his normal human existence fast approaching, that he found the will to voice it. He turned around in Kaito's embrace so that he could look the taller boy in the eyes. Searching. "What do you really want from me?"

"Why did I save you?" Kaito seemed to mull his questions over before he smirked. "I don't believe I want to tell you that just yet. But as for what I want from you," he continued before Shinichi could respond, leaning down so that his lips were hovering mere millimeters from Shinichi's. "That would be everything." Then he closed what little distance there was between them and brushed a kiss across Shinichi's lips.

And that was when Shinichi had woken up, his lips still tingling and his entire body thrumming with a strange mixture of emotions and sensations he couldn't name which left him wondering whether he was thrilled or terrified. His heart (and body) were telling him one thing while his mind was telling him another.

A knock at his bedroom door drew Shinichi out of his thoughts.

"Shinichi?" Agasa called through the door.

"I'm up," Shinichi called back, swinging his legs over the side of his cot.

"I have a delivery to make, so I'll be leaving now," the old man replied. "Can you look after the shop until I get back?"

"I'll be right there," Shinichi promised as he hastened to change from his pajamas into more presentable day clothes.

Agasa chuckled. "Take your time. We don't open for another fifteen minutes. I'll be going then."

"Have a good trip."

"I will. Oh, and remember, we'll be closing early today for the Festival of Spirits. I should be back by then. But if I'm not, you can go ahead and go join the festivities. Have fun!"

"All right."


	3. Chapter 3

The Festival of Spirits was held every year at the end of autumn in honor of the cycle of life. All across the kingdom, the Festival of Spirits was celebrated by dancing and food, dressing up, and having fun. There would be music and candied fruits and bonfires around which people would share strange and eerie tales of ghosts and spirits and life and death and the turning of the cycles upon which the world was built.

Agasa had yet to return from his deliveries when the clock ticked to five, marking the official start of the festival. So Shinichi closed and locked the shop. He wasn't really big on festivals. There were always too many people and too much noise. But there was a bakery that always made a special pie for the festival and only for the festival that Shinichi could never get enough of. That, and he knew that Agasa would be disappointed if he didn't join at least some of the festivities.

He wasn't, however, about to put on any of the silly hats or masks or gaudy costume jewelry popular for the festival. Instead, he pulled on the slightly worn but comfortable blue coat that Agasa had gotten him for his birthday four years ago. It had been kind of big for him then because they'd been planning ahead, and it was still a tiny bit too long in the sleeves now because he hadn't grown quite as much as they'd thought he would. Still, old though it was, it was his favorite article of clothing—not because it was particularly fancy, because it wasn't, but because it was the only thing he owned that had actually been made just for him. Agasa had taken him to the local tailor's so that the man could take his measurements. They'd picked out the fabric and style together too. The first time he'd put on the coat, he had had to fight down a lump in his throat as his eyes watered. Wearing it had (and still did) made him feel like he actually mattered to someone.

Walking through the city at this time of year was like walking through an alternate world. The air was full of laughter and music, and the streets were full of extravagant and colorful figures like creatures out of the imagination.

Shinichi paused to listen to a trio of singers wearing bright yellow and orange bird masks sing a beautiful but haunting love song. Then he paused at a leatherworking stall to by a spectacle case with an ornate leaf pattern pressed into it that he was sure Agasa would like. When he reached his favorite bakery, it was to find that there was already a long line leading all the way out of the shop and halfway down the street. Praying that the pies wouldn't be sold out, he attached himself to the end of the line.

He was working on calculating how much time he would have to wait based on the number of people who appeared to be in line ahead of him and the speed with which customers were exiting the bakery when the girl in line in front of him glanced back and gasped.

"Shinichi?"

He started in surprise and stared at her. It took him a moment to recognize her through her flowery facemask. "Ran."

She smiled a little hesitantly. "It's nice to see you. Have you been doing well?"

"Uh, yeah," he said just as hesitantly, trying not to look too uncomfortable. "And you? How's your apprenticeship with the tailor going?"

"It's going well," she said. "I'm being offered a full partnership once my apprenticeship is over."

"I'm glad to hear that," he said honestly. This time, when Ran smiled, the expression was more genuine.

Shinichi was glad about that too.

He had met Mouri Ran four years ago when Agasa had taken him to the tailor's for his new coat. The girl had been kind, and they had developed a friendship. Ran had introduced him to some of the other local children, and Shinichi had slowly begun to connect with them. Everything had gone smoothly until Ran had shyly confessed to him that she thought she might like him as more than a friend.

That had been a little over a year ago. Shinichi had been caught completely by surprise. He had been so surprised that he really hadn't known what to say. But she had told him to at least think about it, and he had said that he would because he knew that he owed her at least that much.

He hadn't had to think very long to realize that he didn't like Ran the way she wanted him to like her. When he went to see Ran two weeks later to tell her his answer, however, she had shrieked and slammed the door in his face. He'd learned later from some of their shared acquaintances that Ran had suddenly started suffering from nightmares. Not only that, but she had also begun to have the most terrible luck. She'd started tripping over flat ground after catching her foot on thin air and dropping things that felt as though their weights changed in her grasp. She'd stabbed herself with a sewing needle—three times, and been doused by a bucket of paint that fell over the side of a painter's ladder just as she was walking past. When she'd gone swimming, she had sworn that someone grabbed her foot and pulled her down, tangling her in the river plants. She might have drowned if the girls she'd gone swimming with hadn't pulled her out, and she'd still caught a dreadful cold. On top of that, she'd started seeing and hearing things—shadows moving on the walls where no shadows should be, the creak of footsteps in empty rooms, incoherent whispers from just behind her even though there was no one when she turned around, and even glimpses of unfamiliar faces in the reflections in mirrors and windows that shouldn't be there.

Then her best friend, Suzuki Sonoko, had remembered that something very similar had happened the year before to a merchant's son a few years older than them. The older boy had been teaching Shinichi how to play a ball game that he said was gaining popularity in many cities across the kingdom. Shinichi hadn't known the older boy very long, but he'd looked up to him. Being a merchant's son, the boy had been what seemed to Shinichi like everywhere and knew so much more than any of the other kids that Shinichi couldn't help but admire him. He'd told Shinichi he had a talent for the kickball game and invited him to join his family's merchant business so that he could see more of the world.

The day after he'd extended the invitation, strange things had started to happen to him—strange things much like the ones Ran had encountered. Two weeks later, the entire family had moved away.

That first incident had caused quite a stir, but it had passed in time without an explanation. This time though, people began to make connections.

Shinichi had ended up writing Ran a letter explaining both that he did not have feelings for her and that he understood her sudden fear of him. Then he had politely kept his distance because he had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what—or rather who—was really behind the 'haunting' and accidents.

He could still hear Kaito's voice.

"You belong to me."

Shinichi hadn't spoken to Ran in person since then, though she had written him a return letter thanking him for being honest and apologizing for freaking out on him when he'd tried to speak to her. Over time, the others had stopped avoiding him, but there remained a certain distance between him and them that neither side cared to try and breech.

Shinichi knew he should have been more upset, but he knew intuitively that this was for the best. He had enjoyed his time with these people, and he would cherish the memories they had made for as long as he lived, but he was only passing through. That his life and theirs had crossed at all was a miracle in and of itself. Soon, he would be leaving them and all of this behind. This way, they might miss him when he went, but it would only be small ripple in the ever changing pictures of their lives.

He was worried about Agasa though.

"Sonoko's getting married," Ran said suddenly. "Did you know?"

Startled, Shinichi shook his head. "I haven't spoken to her in a while."

"I thought so. Well, she and Makoto are now engaged. The wedding is next summer. She told me to tell you you'd be welcome to attend if you want to."

Shinichi blinked. "She could have told me herself."

"Oh. Well…" Ran looked embarrassed. "She, um, didn't want to see you before, well… Sort of, just in case, I mean—"

"She doesn't want to see me before the ceremony in case doing so jinxes her wedding?" Shinichi guessed.

Ran blushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"It…doesn't bother you?"

"Not really," he said honestly. After all, he had spent eight years with a curse that brought death to everyone around him. Compared to that, having a few people whisper about how he might bring bad luck was nothing.

Ran studied his face for a long moment then nodded slowly. "I see. That's good then."

And that was that.

They reached the counter then and made their purchases. Piping hot pie in hand, Shinichi bid Ran farewell, and they parted ways feeling much more at ease with one another than they had in nearly a year, something for which Shinichi was grateful because the thought of leaving on bad terms with her had been weighing on his mind.

Feeling much lighter, Shinichi found a seat on the edge of one of the city's larger plazas where a band was playing and people were dancing. He ate his pie, savoring the way the hot, sweet filling (with its hint of tartness to offset the sweet) and the buttery, flaky crust all but melted together in his mouth. Every bite was a taste of heaven.

He wondered if Kaito had tried the pie. Shinichi remembered telling him about it in one of their dreams that first festival when he'd tasted the pie for the first time. Kaito had told him that he liked sweets, but he preferred chocolate. He had been astonished to learn that Shinichi didn't care one way or another for most sweet foods. So when Shinichi had mentioned that he did like this bakery's festival pie, he had told Shinichi that he would definitely try it when he had the chance.

The memory made Shinichi smile.

He finished off his pie and cleaned his hands before taking his trash to one of the bins set up around the plaza. It was as he was turning away, wondering if he should head home or visit the artists' lane when he caught a glimpse of indigo eyes.

He froze.

His whole body simply seemed to stop working as his heart began to drum a quick and fluttering tattoo against his ribcage.

There, making his way across the plaza through the whirl of colorful dancers, was a figure dressed in a fancy, black and white suit and a black felt hat sporting a huge, white feather plume that fit right in with the festival.

It was Kaito. Shinichi knew it was him the instant that their eyes met.

He couldn't move. His throat had gone dry. And he couldn't take his eyes off of Kaito's tall, lean figure stalking through the crowd towards him. Everything and everyone else in the plaza simply faded into the background. They were inconsequential.

Kaito came to a stop directly in front of him. Sweeping his cape to one side, he bowed like a gentleman bowing to a noble lady. Then he straightened and offered Shinichi his hand.

"Shall we dance?"


	4. Chapter 4

Shinichi felt as though he was in another dream even as every sense he had was telling him that it was all too real. If anything, everything around him felt even more vivid than usual as though he had been sleepwalking before, and he had only now just woken up.

His body seemed to be moving of its own accord. He accepted Kaito's outstretched hand and let himself be pulled into the dance. It was his first time dancing with anyone. In the past, he had only ever watched others gliding and cavorting in turn across the dance floors at various city celebrations and private gatherings. Never before had he felt any desire to join them. But now, with Kaito's arms around him, guiding him through the steps, he found he might kind of enjoy dancing after all. It was unexpected, but not unwelcome.

He could feel Kaito's eyes on him, but he found himself suddenly shy about meeting that gaze where he had never been before. His body shuddered under Kaito's touch.

Everything was just so real. He had thought that those dream encounters were vivid, but this was different.

It was a good kind of different, he decided. But it was frightening too because, abruptly, he knew that this was it. Once again, as it had eight years ago, his life was about to change.

"It's today, isn't it," he murmured more to himself than to Kaito.

But Kaito must have heard anyway because he answered. "Eight years exactly. To the day."

"I didn't realize."

"Well, the Festival of Spirits was earlier that year. You were in that cell when it happened. I'm not surprised you don't remember."

Shinichi nodded slowly. And now, finally, he looked up to meet Kaito's eyes. There was compassion and understanding in those indigo eyes, but there was something else too—a predatory gleam that sends shivers up his spine.

"Agasa, the man I told you about," Shinichi began, hesitant to ask for yet another favor but determined nonetheless. "He's getting old. I can't just leave him without saying anything."

Kaito cocked his head to one side, considering. "You're worried about him."

"I am. He's been nothing but kind to me. And once I'm gone, he'll be all alone." More alone than even Shinichi had been when he had walked as a stranger with no family or background into this city because Shinichi had always had Kaito.

"I will make sure he is looked after then," Kaito declared. "I give you my word. And we will go see him on the morrow. But, for tonight," he continued, pulling Shinichi close and letting his voice drop into a low, dark purr. "You will be thinking only about me. Agreed?"

A warm flush climbed into Shinichi's cheeks as he nodded. Though he found himself thinking that that wouldn't be difficult. Kaito was almost always on his mind in one form or another already. It had been that way for the last eight years. And that realization made his blush darken.

He realized too then that, wise or not, he did trust Kaito—couldn't help but trust him and would continue to do so until and unless the spirit gave him a solid reason not to. He wasn't stupid. He knew that there was still a great deal he didn't know about this entity he had come to love (and love it was, he could admit now), but he felt he knew enough to begin this next part of his journey without fear. Everything else, he would learn in time.

And he closed his eyes as the music slowed and Kaito drew him close. Shinichi leaned into the embrace, and he felt as though he was falling into a warm and tranquil darkness glimmering with stardust and dreams.

The music flowed around and through them, and they rode upon its wings. Their feet chased the beat, tracing graceful patterns through time and space alike as the world around them blurred and receded, leaving them in a space all their own.

There was no more space between them. No longer so much dancing as simply standing wrapped in one another's arms, they swayed gently to the music, only one couple among dozens scattered across the plaza doing just the same. Shinichi rested his head against Kaito's chest, feeling warm and pliant and content in a way he didn't think he'd ever felt before.

A gloved hand tilted his chin up, and a hot mouth descended upon his. This kiss was nothing like the chaste kisses he had received from Kaito before. This kiss was hungry and raw. A tongue plunged past Shinichi's lips to plunder the cavern beyond, drawing a startled gasp from the blue-eyed boy that turned into a moan as strong hands drag him flush against Kaito's strong, lean body, all but grinding their hips together in a way that sent a jolt of electricity up Shinichi's spine. The next thing he knew, he was clinging to Kaito for support as his entire body shuddered against a wave of sensations both new and overwhelming.

Kaito's breaths tickled his ear. "I do believe it's time to go."

In a billow of heavy fabric, he swept his long cape around himself and Shinichi. The ripple of white and black cloth became a ripple of shadows that swam then swirled and came together to define edges and corners and curves, and suddenly they were standing on a balcony that Shinichi recognized. It was the same balcony from his dream last night. The wonder of that fact, however, was lost to him at the moment, buried as it was by the thrum in his body and the unfamiliar heat coiling through his veins.

In a swift and easy motion, Kaito had swept Shinichi off his feet and up into his arms in a bridal carry (fitting, Kaito thought. After all, this was essentially their wedding night. After tonight, Shinichi would be well and truly his. The thought delighted him in a way he hadn't experienced in a long, long time. And he supposed he really did owe Shinichi an explanation, but that could wait. They had all the time in the world now. Or, well, technically they had eight years for certain, but he was confident he could convince Shinichi to stay). With Shinichi cradled against his chest, he strode off the balcony and into the elegant bedroom to which it was attached.

Shinichi caught a fleeting glimpse of a magnificent writing desk and a full length mirror as Kaito laid him down on the bed. The feel of soft sheets against his bare skin gave him a start, and he blushed (when had that happened?). Then he remembered his coat, the one from Agasa, and he tried to sit up, worry temporarily piercing the haze in his mind.

"My coat—"

"Is fine," Kaito assured him, gently but firmly pressing Shinichi back down onto the bed. "Now hush."

He leaned down to cover Shinichi's mouth with his own, neatly putting an end to any more silly questions about inconsequential things like coats. His hands glided over the lithe body under him, mapping out every dip and curve and taking special note of the sensitive spots that made Shinichi's breath hitch. His little Shinichi had grown up well. Of course Kaito had known that already. He'd been watching the boy for the last eight years. But watching was a very different thing from touching.

Shinichi shuddered under Kaito's hands and wondered how he could be so warm while wearing so little. It was as though Kaito's touch was leaving trails of fire across his skin—a simmering, tingling fire that sank into the very core of his being and made him quiver with want for something he couldn't put words to. Instead of trying, he slipped his arms around Kaito's neck and pulled him down for another kiss. He blushed when he felt the fabric of Kaito's costume melt away like the dreams they so often shared. But the body beneath was very real indeed, and that made him blush all the more. The embarrassment didn't stop him from arching his body to press himself more firmly against the strong body on top of him.

Kaito smirked into the hollow of Shinichi's throat as he licked and sucked and bit at the boy's pale skin, leaving a series of vivid marks. The sight of them gave him a sense of primal satisfaction that rumbled like a purr in the back of his throat. His hands raked down Shinichi's body to grope his rear. Shinichi gasped then moaned as Kaito ground their hips together hard, calloused hands roughly kneading Shinichi's bottom.

Shinichi found himself clinging to Kaito, one leg thrown over his taller lover's hip in an attempt to get closer. He whined when Kaito suddenly pulled away, leaving Shinichi splayed panting and shuddering on the bed.

Shinichi blinked dazedly up at the creamy ceiling that seemed to consist of a translucent whiteness beyond which a night sky glittered with stars. The strange but beautiful ceiling momentarily distracted him. Then Kaito was back and kissing him again, and there were long fingers slick with scented oil pressing past his entrance. Shinichi broke the kiss with a gasp. He blushed and squirmed at the unfamiliar intrusion. Kaito responded by inserting a second finger and thrusting them in deeper. Shinichi's hips bucked as he let out an involuntary cry. Pleased by the response, Kaito continued thrusting his fingers in and out of his lover, twisting and scissoring them against Shinichi's tight walls, stretching him. Preparing him.

He added a third finger, pressing in deeper, and Shinichi mewled. The sound went straight to Kaito's cock—as did the way Shinichi's hips rocked, riding each thrust of his fingers in a wanton plea for more.

Kaito couldn't wait any longer. He withdrew his fingers. Shinichi whined in protest, inner muscles clamping tight around Kaito's fingers in an attempt to keep them in.

Kaito's already achingly hard member grew harder still. He spread Shinichi's legs wide and took a moment to just admire the sight of his panting, quivering lover with his arousal already weeping on the edge of release and that perfect little hole prepared and waiting just for Kaito. His own member throbbed in answer, eager to be buried in that delectable heat. Licking his lips, Kaito shifted into position, pressing the tip of his cock against Shinichi's stretched entrance. He paused there for a moment, savoring it as Shinichi squirmed and whimpered. Then Kaito thrust into him.

Shinichi gasped and arched his back, the muscles in his rear clenching tight around the large cock pressing inside him. He let out a breathless whimper. The intrusion was more painful than he had anticipated, and his hips twitched involuntarily, torn between the impulse to move away and an aching need for more. He wasn't given a choice as Kaito's hands on his hips kept him firmly in place as Kaito pushed in deeper. He didn't stop until he was fully sheathed in Shinichi's deliciously tight heat.

Shinichi's head spun. He'd never felt so full. A quiet moan of pleasure escaped his lips despite the discomfort.

The knowledge that it was Kaito inside him brought a fresh blush to his cheeks. This was right, some part of his mind whispered as pleasant shudders ran through his body. His eyes fluttered shut. His entire world was focused only on the feel of Kaito's body pressed against and inside him, claiming him. And he realized that, deep down, he'd always known this moment would come. He had known and wanted it

Now that he was here, he couldn't help but relish the moment, pulling Kaito in for another kiss and moaning into the other's mouth as the movement caused Kaito's hard length to shift inside him, rubbing against his sensitive walls and sending sparks of pleasure dancing down his nerves.

Kaito chuckled, low and soft. "Is my little sparrow ready for more?"

He gave his hips a shallow, experimental thrust.

Shinichi gasped, clenching convulsively around Kaito's cock. "K—Kai. Please."

Kaito thought he could actually hear his own self control snapping. With a growl, he pulled out and thrust back into Shinichi hard and fast. Shinichi tossed his head back against the bed with a sharp cry as his spine arched. But Kaito was only getting started. Throwing Shinichi's legs over his shoulders, he lifted Shinichi's hips, searching for just the right angle to allow himself in deeper. Soon, he was pounding into his lover, relishing the way Shinichi tightened around him upon every thrust.

Shinichi's gasps and cries of pleasure grew louder as Kaito thrust into him again and again, plunging deep into his very core with each thrust. He writhed, all thoughts lost in a heated storm of pure pleasure and sensation. He could sense the end coming, but he fought to keep it at bay. He wanted to hang on to this moment—these sensations—for as long as he could.

But alas, the stimulation was simply too intense for Shinichi's sensitive, virgin body. And he came with screaming Kaito's name. With his lover tightening like a velvet vice around his pulsating length, Kaito managed a few more deep trusts before he too came, releasing his essence deep inside his young lover's willing body. He felt Shinichi shudder under him, a soft moan escaping his lips at the sensation of being so utterly filled by everything Kaito.

They simply lay there entwined for a long moment, just savoring the intimacy and basking in the afterglow of their coupling. It was with some reluctance that Kaito eventually shifted, pulling out of his lover. Shinichi whimpered and squirmed at the sudden emptiness. Smiling softly, Kaito gathered him to his chest. His smile grew when Shinichi instinctively cuddled closer to him.

"I guess we'll talk later," he remarked to no one in particular, pulling the blankets over them both and tucking Shinichi's head under his chin. There was so much he still needed to show Shinichi, but it could wait.


	5. Chapter 5

Shinichi woke up floating on a warm, soft cloud. This puzzled him greatly, so he opened his eyes to find his vision filled with a sea of soft, white sheets and bits of night sky patterned blankets. He stared at these for a long time because they were nothing like his plain and slightly threadbare sheets and blanket at home.

It was the thought of home that brought the memories flooding back: locking up the store, meeting Ran at the festival, the pie, seeing Kaito through the gap in the crowds, dancing with Kaito, kissing Kaito… Pulling Kaito close… feeling Kaito moving inside him…

The memories sent a delighted shudder up his spine even as it brought a blush to his face.

Well, that explained the ache in his lower back and the soreness in his bottom. It also explained the warmth he now realized was a body spooning him from behind and the arm draped around his waist. Shinichi was confused but very relieved to discover that he was dressed in loose pajamas. Why this should matter after the very…intimate night he had just had with the very person holding him, he couldn't say, but it did. It seemed Kaito had also cleaned them and everything else up.

"Comfortable?" Kaito asked.

Shinichi nearly jumped right out of the bed. He had had no idea that Kaito was awake. "K—Kaito," he stammered then stopped because he wasn't sure what he wanted to say.

Kaito chuckled, the sound vibrating against Shinichi's back in a way that Shinichi found rather soothing. "That's me. Glad you remember."

Shinichi rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. Suddenly, all his embarrassment and uncertainty melted away. This was his Kaito after all. The same Kaito he had been seeing almost every night for eight years. Squirming around so that he was facing Kaito, he looked up into those familiar, indigo eyes he loved.

"The pajamas are nice," he said. "Thank you. But I'd still like to know what you did with my coat."

"It's in the closet. Do you need me to show you?"

"It's okay. I trust you."

Kaito's eyes softened, and he dropped a gentle kiss on Shinichi's lips. "I'm glad to hear that. Now, how about some breakfast?"

The mention of breakfast made Shinichi's stomach growl. He blushed, and Kaito laughed.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Fifteen minutes later, they were both up and dressed for the day. Changing had been more complicated than Shinichi had expected because his legs didn't seem to want to hold him up. On the bright side, Kaito was more than willing to lend him a hand.

"These aren't my clothes," Shinichi said, smoothing a hand over the fabric. Though not fancy, the material was considerably finer than anything Shinichi had ever worn before. It made him a little uncomfortable.

"They're yours now. I got them for you," Kaito replied, standing back to look him up and down then nodding approvingly. He offered Shinichi his hand. "Shall we?"

-0-

They had breakfast in an elegant dining room with a massive window overlooking a lake. They were served by an old man that Kaito introduced as Jii and his assistant, a girl with the eyes of a cat. The two spoke very little to Shinichi, though he caught them sneaking curious and assessing looks at him whenever they thought he wasn't paying attention. Then again, Shinichi was doing the same with them, so he couldn't blame them. Still, he was relieved when the two excused themselves.

"Don't worry. They'll get used to you," Kaito said when they had gone. "I told everyone that you'd be coming though, so I'm afraid you might have to endure being stared at a lot for a while. But I assure you, no one here will harm you. It's just we don't get many new faces around here, and the people of my Court tend to be rather curious. I did tell them all to give you some space while you adjust though."

"Thank you, I guess." Shinichi picked up the mug of coffee that the cat girl had poured for him. "So are you going to tell me now then? Why you brought me here?"

"I love you," Kaito said simply.

Shinichi felt a rush of happiness at those words, but he wasn't going to let that sidetrack him. "You didn't know me when we first met."

"No, I did not," Kaito agreed.

Shinichi waited. When Kaito didn't continue, he cleared his throat. "So? Why did you help me back then?"

Kaito seemed to mull the question over for a while as he plopped sugar cube after sugar cube into his coffee. Shinichi wondered idly if there would be a heap of sugar at the bottom of Kaito's cup when he was done drinking from it.

"I suppose it is time you knew," he said finally.

Shinichi perked up at once. The reaction brought a fond grin to Kaito's lips. That eagerness to learn really was one of his Shinichi's best qualities.

"Do you remember what I told you about this place?" he asked, gesturing at the view beyond the window.

Shinichi blinked. "You…said you created it. And you said it existed somewhere between reality and the world of dreams."

Kaito beamed. "Exactly. And since that is the case, this realm of ours can be a little, shall we say, unstable. I'm sure you can understand."

"But it seems so real," Shinichi mused, running a hand along the edge of the table they were seated at. It looked and felt exactly like polished wood.

"It is real," Kaito replied. "But it is more so now than it was yesterday."

Shinichi stared at him. "That made no sense."

"It is a little difficult to explain in human terms," Kaito admitted. "This entire realm is a magical construction. It is real, but it is formed and sustained by my magic. It is only as real as I can make it. But my domain is that of fantasy and dreams—as I know you've deduced. So you see, I cannot truly make this home of ours real the way we would like it to be. That's why I need you. You've always seen the world as it is. Not many people can do that. But you are also observant and quick to learn. Those are all things that I was searching for."

His smile fell from his face as he fixed Shinichi with a serious look. "I—we—need you to help us make our home real. As you see more of this place, learn more about it, and come to know, understand, and define it, so too will this place learn to define itself. And, one day, it will truly be real."

Shinichi sipped at his coffee as he digested what Kaito was saying. "So you brought me here because you think I can help you finish creating this place?"

"In essence, yes."

"But can I really do that?" Shinichi wondered aloud. "I don't know anything about magic."

"You don't have to. And I know you can. Like I said, you already are."

Later, true to his word, Kaito brought them back to Agasa's old store. They appeared in Shinichi's former bedroom in a swirl of black feathers and white rose petals that vanished before they hit the ground. Seeing his room again after the night he'd just had was surreal, and Shinichi knew that he would miss this place for all that it was old and small and plain. It had been his first real home, and so it would always hold a special place in his heart.

They found Agasa downstairs in the kitchen reading a newspaper. The old man got hastily to his feet when he saw Shinichi.

"You're back!" he exclaimed, both relief and confusion clear on his face. "Where were you? I got your note, but it wasn't very clear."

Note? Shinichi knew he hadn't left a note. He glanced at Kaito, who winked. That explained it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you," he said. "Um, it's a little hard to explain where I was. But there's someone I wanted you to meet."

Kaito stepped forward then, and the old man's eyes widened as he took a step back. He looked from Kaito to Shinichi then back to Kaito then to Shinichi again, and they could both see the understanding dawning on his face as his mouth formed a startled "o".

"Is this…?"

"Call me Kaito," said Kaito. He bowed. "I have heard a lot about you."

Agasa blinked. "Oh. Well, I have heard much about you too. I have to say, I never expected to actually meet you." He glanced around his modest kitchen then hurried to the stove. "Would you like some tea?"

"Tea would be much appreciated," Kaito replied. He took a seat at the table while Shinichi moved to get the tea leaves from the cupboards. "We have much to discuss."

Then they were all three of them sitting around Agasa's kitchen table. Seeing both Kaito and Agasa there was one thing that Shinichi had never expected, but it was nice. And he hoped it would not be the last time that they were able to be here, talking and laughing like a little family.

Although it was a little embarrassing to sit there as Kaito assured Agasa that he would take care of Shinichi like someone assuring his father-in-law that he would take good care of his daughter. The comparison made Shinichi blush all the more because he couldn't help but note how fitting it was.

When Agasa saw them to the door, he did so with a smile, content in the knowledge that the boy he had come to love like a grandson would be in good hands and that this would not be the last time that they saw each other. After all, Kaito had promised, and the Lord of the Black Court always kept his word.


End file.
